Tuesday, September 08, 2009

You may or may not know this, but this blog originally started out having nothing at all to do with digital scrapbooking. I used it to update family on things in our life, vent, whine, gloat, you name it.

I have decide that I will include those 'life' posts again. I'll always put 'NSBR' in the title, so if you are here looking for my scrapbooking goodies, you can ignore them. And if you are here looking to read about my life, just click the NSBR label and you'll get just my life posts:)

So, to start off posting abotu just my life LOL...Today is back to school. I cannot possible say YAY loud enough to capture how relieved I am. This summer has been by far the most trying summer in my life as a parent. For the three previous summers, Coram has been in a summer long day program. This helps him because he really needs the structure and routine. However, after my back injury last year and the circumstances around it, the program decided that they no longer felt they could keep Coram safe this year. So I spent the months coming up to summer trying to secure summer care.

And this is what I encountered:

- There are 4 community centers in the city that offer 'inclusive' programs.

- There are way more kids than there are spots

- Because of this mis-match, each child can only be given 2 weeks at each center

- The supportive staff at these centers are primarily volunteers, from late high school or early university, who are enthusiastic and willing but completely untrained

And these are the results:

- Volunteers are awkward and unsure when they first meet Coram, two to three days are spent getting over that

- Two to three days need to be spend building a rapport with Coram, then they maybe have one good day

- the weekend comes, and the break intrudes on the rapport

- In the second week, Coram becomes aware that he is leaving that center, gets anxious about that, and starts acting up

We only kept this up for a couple of different centers, because it just wasn't worth the stress. I would get until maybe noon at the latest before I was called to go pick him up. I wasn't getting any work done, he wasn't getting the structure, and we were all stressed. So I just kept him home the rest of the summer.

Now, I love my kids, but after several weeks of this, I was about to lose my mind. I am just so very thankful that school is back in session.

Now, in a few weeks I may feel differently, when the slogg of getting Coram out of bed for his 7:34 bus pick up and packing lunch and dealign with school issues gets me down. But for today, I am content.

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I am a happily married mother of 2 wonderful boys who are energetic and brilliant and keep me jumping. When they were wee babies I was isolated at home with them and turned to the internet for community. I have spent the last 5 years learning all about the highs and lows of internet marketing, and I know I have much, much more to learn. I am aspiring towards earning a full time living online.
I am also an aspiring speech therapist. I have partially completed my degree and am on parenting/stress leave/hiatus for an indefinite amount of time. I don't feel I have abandoned the goal - just set it aside for a bit.
I can be found on several internet forums with the username 'Payingforschool', which I am doing both financially and psychologically despite the fact that I am not presently attending school.
I am also active on several parenting forums, especially ones associated with cleft lip and palate, as my first son was born with both. My younger son was recently diagnosed as high-functioning Autistic, so I have set myself on a path to learn all I can about this condition.